Tales of the Clans
by J.R. Marsden
Summary: A one-shot collection based loosely, but not fully, on the 100 themes challenge. While most stories are of legends and leaders and villains and myths, let's face it, it's the everyday things that warriors go through that make us love 'em. (On hiatus.)
1. Introduction, or Honeykit, Wake Up!

**Introduction**

_**Or…**_

_**Honeykit, Wake Up!**_

* * *

A paw seemed insistent on prodding her side.

One...two...three...four…

A pause, then: "C'mon, Honeykit, wake up!"

Then it continued.

One...two...three...four.

"I wanna see those pretty eyes!"

One. Two. Three. _Four. _

"Jaykit!" Thankfully, her mother's sweet, familiar voice intervened, something the young kit found herself grateful for. "Leave her be. She'll open her eyes when she's ready."

There was a huff from the squeaky-voiced tom kit, but he seemed to retreat, his pawsteps sounding on the soft sand that Honeykit imagined made up the nursery floor. As was her natural inclination, she found herself putting a face to the kit, despite never seeing him before. She imagined him as a long-haired, mud-brown thing with dull eyes and a large, unattractive form, maybe even with a tooth jutting out from his lip.

Yeah. That seemed suiting.

Suddenly, something crashed on top of her, and with a squeak of surprise Honeykit found herself rolling with...whatever _it _was.

Of course, her natural instinct was to open her eyes.

Instead of the beautiful face of her mother, or the sun shining brightly into the nursery - the things she often dreamed of when she would think of opening her eyes - she was staring into the face of a young kit, no more than a moon older than her, with his snow white paws pinned to her own. His smoky blue eyes opened wide, lighting up with excitement, before he turned to her mother. "Lakeheart! She opened her eyes!"

While Honeykit knew she should have looked at her mother then, she found herself staring up at the kit who remained hovering over her, both in shock and amazement.

It couldn't be…?

No. This kit was far too handsome to be -

"_Jaykit!_"

_Oh no…_

"That's no way to treat your denmate!" With ease, Lakeheart grabbed Jaykit by the scruff, with the small brown-and-white tom struggling in her maw to break free from her strong grip. Ungraciously, he was plopped onto the ground, with his little legs - not yet fully accustomed to - buckling beneath him. He shot her mother a glare, but he seemed to be smart enough to keep silent and instead shook his fur of the moss that clung to his fluffy fur. Honeykit frowned at him, unsure what to think of Jaykit. She had imagined him ugly, but he was pretty instead.

She found herself struggling to get on her paws, her stumpy legs shaking, but she managed to pull through and stand properly, like her mother and supposed denmate. She examined to the pair with the baby blue eyes all kits had, wide and filled with curiosity.

While Jaykit was precisely the opposite of what she had imagined - with a soft white and pale brown coat and an elegantly angular face - her mother was near precisely what she had thought, though perhaps a bit whiter…

She was right about the grey patches at least.

Lakeheart's amber eyes gleamed as Honeykit took a hesitant, shaky step forward, almost falling back to the ground though with a characteristic stubbornness she refused to comply with her body's wishes. Gradually, though progressively, she found herself in front of Jaykit. Despite the tom being a moon older than she was, they were the same height. His smoky eyes never left her as she walked towards him, concealing the same pride Lakeheart had.

Her mother gently nudged the tom with her snowy paw. "Go on now. Introduce yourself to her like Littlewhisker told you."

Jaykit dipped his head politely. "Hello, Honeykit. My name's Jaykit, Littlewhisker's kit." He sounded formal enough, but then he pressed forward and his muzzle met her head, pink nose nuzzling gently into her ear…

Which was folded back against her skull.

She blinked once, her round eyes widening even further. She looked at Lakeheart through the corner of her eyes. Her mother had pointed ears. So did Jaykit. As the tom kit's nose traced her ear, she realized that only _her _ears were so...weird.

Why?

"I like them." To add to her many surprises that day, Jaykit seemed to have known exactly what she was thinking. The tom was purring, looking kindly down on her before nuzzling into her ear again. "Makes you...you…" He paused, looking up at Lakeheart. "Unik?"

"_Unique_, Jaykit," Lakeheart corrected gently.

_What a strange word…_

With a sweep of her short-furred, yet plush tail, Honeykit was pulled back to her nest, with her mother's long, towering body curling comfortably around her. Lakeheart glanced at Jaykit. "It's time for a nap. Joining us?"

For a brief moment, Jaykit looked right about to refuse, but then he seemed to realize that it wasn't a request, but an order. With a sigh, the older kit trudged forward, curling beside Honeykit with his muzzle placed softly to her deformed ear, almost like it was instinct for him.

And with that, the two kits were asleep, with Lakeheart wondering if there were ever a stranger pair of kits.

_**To clarify, Honeykit was born with a deformation in her ears which cause them to lie back against her head and never grow. Despite this, she isn't deaf, with the mutation remaining only physical. Believed to be caused due to a premature birth. **_

**As stated in the summary, I'm open to requests! Just fill out the form!**

**Character(s): (If OCs, include a physical and personality description, as well as anything else important to them)**

**Genre: **

**Rating: (Anything R I'll put in a different story)**

**Plot: (if you have one that is; I can always pop something out of my fingers if not)**

**Other things: (like relationships between the characters, or if you want to specify something, like if you want a lemon done)**

**Open to all genres, from romance to angst to troll-fic, and I'm open to any ratings. (If they're rated M, however, like if you want a lemon, I'll put it on a different story)**.

**Hope you enjoy this story collection!**

**\- JR**


	2. Never Again, or The Vole

_**Per the highly complex and inspirational idea given to me by ohmygawd, I present to you...**_

**Never Again**

_**Or…**_

_**The Vole**_

* * *

The furry little creature was as dead as dead could be, bloodied at the stomach where his father had killed it, it's beady brown eyes staring lifelessly in front of it. Pondkit stared down at the unmoving morsel, frowning at the poor, dead, unblessed scrap that was to be his meal.

_That poor, poor vole…_

He felt bad for it. He knew it was weird to feel bad for some prey, but it was true.

I mean, he certainly wouldn't like to be killed, much less eaten.

The little grey tabby tom bunched his paws beneath him, nudging the vole with his tiny pink nose. How were he to feel if this vole were about to eat _him? _Pretty bad, he imagined, being, well, dead and all.

What if there was a StarClan for voles, and this one was watching Pondkit now, planning his future downfall for eating him? Now _that_ was a scary thought.

Birchleap, his mother, nuzzled his head with her soft grey muzzle. "Aren't you going to eat, Pondkit?"

"I feel bad for it," the kit confessed innocently. "What if it had family, or friends? Maybe it didn't want to die?"

The DarkClan queen frowned down at her son, puzzled by his odd behavior. But then, he _was _a kit. Maybe some encouragement would help?

"Well, think of it this way. If we didn't have this vole, we wouldn't be able to survive, would we?" Her soft, fluffy tail curled around his small shoulders. "He would like to have his body be put to use instead of rotting away in the tunnels. Make sense?"

"I guess…" So to please his loving mother, Pondkit ate the vole, feeling such an overwhelming wave of guilt that the kit, right then and there, swore he would never eat another vole for as long as he lived.

And he never did.

That one vole he did eat, who was named Sir Dangleberry, was so touched by the kit's noble way of life that he watched Pondkit grow from VoleClan high above the clouds and blessed him in everything he did.

And that was all because of a vow he made and kept.

**AN: It might of been a joke request, it might not have been. Either way, I had fun with this one. XD**

**Review Replies:**

**ohmygawd - I hope this appealed to you and met you late night request requirements. XD**

**argo14 - I might take you up on that offer. :P Your characters seem like they'd be fun to write about!**

**anim8or - Thank youuu! :3 I've always loved writing about Jay and Honey, so expect to see a lot of stories done on them, especially in this collection. :P Your request should be up next if all goes well. :)**


	3. Pride, or Scars of Strength

**Pride**

_**Or…**_

_**Scars of Strength**_

Honeyspots rarely ever felt helpless. She was a superb medicine cat after all, one of the best in the clans, one of the best in IceClan's history even. She was observant. She was brilliant, creative, a perfect blend of gentleness and firmness. But even she couldn't prevent scars.

Of all her expertise and experience, there was nothing she could do to prevent a scar, no herbs she could use to make that scar fade. It was a thing as eternal as the warrior code itself.

The exhausted medicine cat frowned down at her newest and currently most precious charge, at the cobwebs which bandaged the young face. The wounds would heal - Honeyspots wouldn't dare call herself a medicine cat otherwise - but the effect of the injuries done to her silver-spotted white face would most certainly linger, a marring of the apprentice's beautiful young face that would last until she made her way to StarClan.

"You haven't slept at all, have you?" The soft voice was soon joined by a soft pelt pressing against her flank, and Honeyspots didn't need to look to know who her new companion was. Instinctively, the she-cat rested her round head against Jayflight's shoulder, feeling his muzzle move in to press tenderly to her ear, just as he always did when she was stressed.

"No." Honeyspot's reply caused the warrior to frown and rasp his tongue soothingly across her head, his own plumey tail winding around her own.

"She'll be fine."

"But the scars…" Honeyspots trailed off, causing Jayflight to press his muzzle to her cheek.

"They're something she's going to have to get used to."

Honeyspots shook her head, walking over to the dip which concealed her herbs, staring at each one she had collected over the past moon. "I just wish there was something more I could do. She'll be devastated when she wakes."

"But there's nothing else you _can_ do, honey." Jayflight pressed his muzzle to hers, frowning when she pulled away from him. Wrapping his tail around her shoulders, the tom raised a paw to her chin, forcing the smaller cat to look at him with wide dark eyes, orbs of helplessness staring through him. "You need to sleep."

"But-"

"I'll stay here in case she wakes up. I promise."

Honeyspots blinked, mulling over his offer, before she reluctantly gave in and nodded, her exhaustion even effecting her own stubborn nature. She allowed her friend to guide her to her nest, feeling his chin press against her neck as he laid with her. Jayflight's eyes, however, were solely fixed on his sleeping apprentice.

…

"You'll have to see her eventually, love."

Echopaw shook her head slowly, staring unblinking at her reflection in the pool that had formed in Honeyspot's den, just as she had been the day prior. Honeyspots frowned at her charge, feeling that odd pull of helplessness once again when her prediction came true. The wound from the border skirmish had created four unsightly, diagonal scars across the apprentices face, scars Honeyspots was certain would never fade or blend with her fine fur. They were marks Honeyspots knew would eventually define the apprentice, just as her deformed ears had defined the medicine cat.

Yellowflower's voice sounded from outside the den, requesting permittance to come into the den to see her daughter. Once again Honeyspots glanced at Echopaw, and once again Echopaw was quick to shake her head in a wordless reply. Sighing, the plush medicine cat made her way out of the den, and while indiscernible, Echopaw could catch the tone of disappointed voices belonging to both her caretaker and her mother. The silver-spotted apprentice frowned down at her reflection.

Could they blame her though? She hoped they didn't. The scars were so disfiguring, so disgusting to look at; Echopaw sometimes wished she had been blinded in the fight so that she herself didn't have to look upon her own marred face. Four scars cut across her face, each of varying length, each varying how much exposed, twisted skin was shown.

To her, she was positively _hideous_.

Just then, Jayflight's elegantly lean form came into view, joining her reflection in the pond. His soft tail wound around her shoulders, and he turned to face her, but to his dismay his apprentice didn't make any sort of eye contact, not even turning to look at him. Jayflight frowned, looking down at the pond instead, keeping his tail on his apprentice's shoulders.

"Honeyspots told me you don't want your mom to see." Jayflight began, his voice as gentle as a father might speak to a kit.

"I don't want her to be disappointed in me." Echopaw's heterochromatic eyes gleamed. "I don't want her to see me looking like _this_."

"I'm not disappointed in you because of it." Jayflight pointed out matter-of-factly. "A scar is proof of a warrior's bravery in battle. Take pride in them."

"Yellowflower might not see it that way."

"She'll see it as an act of loyalty to your clan, and I assure you, nothing would make her prouder knowing her daughter fought so fiercely in the name of the clan." Jayflight's tail brushed down the length of her back. He paused, then: "Scars won't ever go away, Echopaw. They're made to stay. Be grateful nothing worse happened to you."

Echopaw had no response to that. She thought about the warrior, Sharpclaw, and the scar that stretched across her stomach, a scar formed by a wound so devastating the warrior was made infertile as a result, not to mention how easily nauseous she became nowadays. It was a miracle she was still alive, much less one of the greatest warriors of the clans.

Her scar was so much more devastating than Echopaw's, and yet she was still the same old, grumpy Sharpclaw. The apprentice frowned at her reflection, dipping a claw into the clear water.

Jayflight cocked his head at his apprentice. "You ready to go out now, face the world?"

Echopaw took a deep breath, and as the water she had disturbed fell still once again, she turned to her mentor and nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Pride gleamed in Jayflight's handsome blue eyes as he walked out of the den with her, side by side. Echopaw realized then that no matter what Yellowflower would say about her scars, her mentor would always be proud of her.

**AN:**** A wonderful request by anim8or dealing with her OC, Echofall (or Echopaw as she appears here). :) I hope you aren't disappointed! It seems kinda short to me, but eh. xD**

**Review Replies:**

**anim8or - xD Hey, at least Pondkit was blessed for regretting his partaking of Le Vole. :P AND HERE'S MORE HONEYJAY FRIENDSHIP**

**Briarthorn of MossClan - Well, if you never partake in Le Vole, then you shall most certainly be blessed. ;) And I'll work on your request next!**

**Amberleaf - UPDATED. HAPPY NOW? xD And I went and reviewed your one-shot collection. ^^**

**ohmygawd - Yes. I learned just how important Le Vole is in everything. It truly was an experience I'll never forget, writing that story.**

**argo14 - D'aww, thank ya! :3 I shall continue to do my best! ^^**


	4. Forbidden, or Heartbreak is What's Evil

**AN:** **A request made by Briarthorn of MossClan. I do hope you enjoy! I changed a few things as a forewarning, but I hope it appeases you. :) Written in a format similar to an interview should anyone be confused.**

* * *

**Forbidden**

_**Or...**_

_**Heartbreak is What's Evil**_

I served as RiverClan's medicine cat for...a great many moons. Innumerable moons. When you've lived and served for as long as I have you...experience a lot. Hear a lot of stories and witness just as many. As it turns out, most of them are tragedies, though I suppose that's not really all surprising given my role in the Clan.

"What's the most tragic story you've heard?"

That I've heard?

"Or experienced, I should say."

Well...there's always a certain melancholy in being a medicine cat. Your duties and death just seem to go together like fish and water. All of them - the stories - are tragic. However...there is this incident back in my apprentice years when I served under Poppytail and Robinstar. A love story, actually, and quite possibly the saddest one of all the clans.

"Would you mind telling us this story?"

Don't mind at all.

The main subject of our tale is a young warrior I knew in my youth, named Reedstripe. Handsome fellow really, with a rather handsome personality to go with. He had a brilliant snow-white pelt streaked beautifully with pale brown stripes, and he had stunning green eyes, not vibrant or anything, but pale and soothing to look at. Always reminded me of brisk leaf-fall air for some reason.

He was out hunting alone, I think, when he met the she-cat who would win his heart.

_The rustling of brush by the river distracted Reedstripe from the vole he was hunting, white ears perking, senses suddenly more alert than they had been as he caught the whiff of an unfamiliar cat, not of any clan despite being so close to the borders. The vole scurried away as Reedstripe stalked forward. He could see the cat's lithe form, and without thinking, flung himself at the intruder. They rolled across the rock, with the stranger yowling in surprise, before Reedstripe had him pinned. Or rather, her._

Tell me, do you believe in love at first sight?

"No, I can't say that I do."

Well, that's what happened here. Not that I blame him necessarily.

_The strange she-cat blinked up in surprise at the warrior, and despite himself, despite his natural inclination to defend his clan, shame tore threw him, and awkwardly he stepped off of her. _

"_Sorry," Reedstripe said sheepishly, "I -"_

"_It's fine. Defending the territory, right?"_

She had the most stunning blue eyes of any cat I had ever met. And I'm sure Reedstripe though the same. He told me he couldn't stop staring.

_Reedstripe's mouth opened and closed, not sure at all what to say. 'She's gorgeous…'_

"_What's your name?" The speckled she-cat asked, purring in amusement as the handsome tom shook himself. _

"_R-Reedstripe." The warrior stammered, embarrassed. The she-cat purred, tail curling happily. _

"_What an odd name. I like it. My name's Aspen, by the way."_

Those two spent the rest of that day talking, Reedstripe discussing the warrior way with her mostly, though they both claimed later that they were speaking of other things as well, though what currently slips from my mind. In any case, the two fell in love almost instantly, and when Reedstripe asked if she would come with him, she was quick to agree. Reedstripe ended up pleading with Robinstar to let her join.

"_Please, Robinstar! I'll train her and everything!" The ginger tabby leader frowned at his warrior, long tail winding around his paws._

Mind you, I've always praised Robinstar for his calm head. With the way Reedstripe was acting, I might've sliced his ears off.

"_Please!"_

"_Reedstripe," Robinstar started, "you're a good warrior, and I'd happily do what I can for you. I have to ask though, why should I accept this…" He waved his tail dismissively. "Rouge into RiverClan?"_

_Silence first. _

I doubt Reedstripe had any idea how to respond when the inevitable question of 'why' came up.

"_Because...because I love her."_

"_You only just met her." _

"_I know, but…"_

When Reedstripe told me how he convinced Robinstar to say yes, I thought it was a stroke of brilliance on the warrior's part.

_Then, Reedstripe had a valid argument. "You're renowned for not just your calm temperament, Robinstar, but for your dedication to your mate, to Wingtail. It's a story all the clans tell that your guy's love was one of first sight, and that you'd give up the title of leader if she'd asked. The same can be said for me and Aspen."_

_Robinstar's vibrant blue eyes flashed with appreciation, though masked enough to not give anything away. "And you're certain Aspen feels the same?"_

"_I'm almost positive she does."_

"_Then I have just one more question for you…"_

"_Of course!" _

_Robinstar stood, walking towards his den entrance before looking back on his warrior, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "What do you think would be a suiting warrior name for her?"_

Robinstar, per Reedstripe's suggestion, would accept Aspen into the clan and give her the name Aspenstorm. At first, the other warrior's were skeptical...and so was I, if I'm honest. What would a rogue know of our ways and traditions? She was quick to learn though, and quick to gain acceptance. She would eventually become one of my dearest friends, and so would Reedstripe.

One moon after her arrival, she was expecting kits. A happy occasion for the clan seeing as we had no expecting queens before her. Kits meant new, soon-to-be warriors after all. However, something went wrong...terribly wrong.

_Reedstripe paced outside the nursery for a long while, only stopping when Robinstar made him, long ginger tail wrapping around the warrior's shoulders. Only the leader seemed to remain calm, with the others muttering worriedly amongst each other._

We, Poppytail and I, couldn't stop the bleeding…

_The black furred, ginger tailed medicine cat made her way weakly out of the nursery, ignoring the questions as she approached Reedstripe. She didn't look him in the eyes, and her ears were flat against her head as she said, "I...think you should go in."_

_Eyes wide, Reedstripe ran in just as the medicine cat apprentice walked out. Blizzardpaw cringed as a heart-breaking yowl came from the nursery._

Aspenstorm died. I never heard a sound so terrible in my many seasons of life. Poppytail was so stricken with grief and self-blame that when the caterwaul sounded, she buried her face in Robinstar's chest. Still, we had duties to perform. The kits were miraculously healthy, and the other queen had agreed to take on the kits as her own. We told her to leave though, and Poppytail, Robinstar, and I sought to comfort Reedstripe as we looked over the kits.

_Reedstripe sat slumped over the dead body of his mate, over the kits who mewled as the medicine cats looked over them. His eyes were closed, and he didn't acknowledge his leader as Robinstar pressed himself comfortingly against his warrior. Poppytail looked up._

"_Reedstripe…"_

"_I want to be alone."_

_Poppytail blinked in surprise, then glanced at her apprentice, who said nothing. Frowning, the medicine cat dipped her head respectfully to the warrior._

"_I'll go find Featherwhisker." Standing, the medicine cat left, and Blizzardpaw brushed against Reedstripe before doing the same. Robinstar lingered however, his tail brushing Reedstripe's back. _

"_If you ever need anything, my friend…"_

"_Please," Reedstripe croaked out. "Just go."_

_And Robinstar listened to his wishes. _

Leaving him alone with those kits was the worst idea though. I knew Reedstripe...he was my best friend...I never even considered how much losing his mate - his mate he loved so much - would affect him. It...drove him mad...and he...did things. Things that made me and Poppytail and Robinstar wish we had never _ever _left him alone.

We found Featherwhisker, and we went with her to the nursery...and we found three dead kits. Three dead, precious newborn kits...and Reedstripe's claws covered in their blood...Great StarClan it's still a sight I still pray to forget…

"_ROBINSTAR!" Poppytail's caterwaul warned everyone in camp, woke those sleeping in the dens, oblivious to what had happened. Robinstar flew into the den, and made to pin Reedstripe down. The warrior was faster though, and as his leader moved in he sprinted out of the nursery. _

Robinstar didn't make chase, though.

"_What's the point?" The leader asked the outraged warriors bitterly, grief-stricken at the tragedies that transpired that night and internally blaming himself for the kits, for Reedstripe. The ginger leader shook his fine head, speaking more quietly. "He...won't be coming back."_

"_And if he does?" Someone called out. Robinstar glared at his warriors, meeting each one's gaze. _

"_Then you bring him to __me__. You will not kill any cat who was a part of this clan. Do I make myself clear?" _ _Nods and reluctant agreements chorused through the crowd. Robinstar paused, then his head and tail fell, and his shoulders slumped. "Good…"_ _He turned to the medicine cats, looking older than he truly was. "Go...prepare the bodies. I...I need to be alone..."_

_Under his leader's breath, Blizzardpaw heard: "He won't come back. StarClan, please...grant him mercy."_

Reedstripe never did come back. And StarClan never did grant him mercy.

"How do you know?"

He came to me in a dream. He lives now in the Dark Forest, the killing of kits an irreconcilable evil despite Robinstar's pleas. He told me that he still meets with Aspenstorm, a union of love so forbidden and so unheard of I wondered if I should believe him.

"Do you think there's still good in Reedstripe?"

I don't think Reedstripe was ever evil. Heartbreak is evil, and Reedstripe was its victim.

"Blizzardstripe, thank you very much for the story."

Of course.

"I have one more question. Do you feel guilty for what happened?"

All of us do, my dear. To this day, Robinstar, now in StarClan, still pleads for mercy to be granted to Reedstripe.

Someday, maybe our leader's pleas will be heard, and Aspenstorm and Reedstripe and their kits will truly be a family unforbidden.

**Review Replies:**

**Briarthorn of MossClan - You're quite welcome! I hope you liked it! :) And yes, he hath blessed you, non-vole-eater! xD **

**ohmygawd - I did draw a bit of inspiration from Brightheart, and I imagine her creator did, too. xD**

**anim8or - AW AW AW! thank youu! :D I'm glad you liked it, and I'm glad I portrayed her correctly!**

**HollerChristina - Thanks doll! Your next update is here! :) :P**

***I'd like to take this moment now to say that you can make another request after I've finished your current request. I won't accept multiple requests at once. Request one, then once I'm done with that, request another if you'd like. Make sense?***


	5. Embarrassed, or Off the Ego Cliff

_As requested by anim8or, I give you a short sneak peek into the past of Shadewillow in..._

**Embarrassment**

_**Or...**_

_**Off the Ego Cliff**_

Deadpaw wasn't a particularly pretty she-cat. Quite the opposite actually.

And falling off that cliff seemed to make things for her a _bit_ worse. It wasn't my fault, really, it was an accident. I mean, Palebelly and Lakeheart said I shouldn't have been messing with her, and I probably shoudn't have, but she charged at me. We fell down. She used her body to soften the fall on my part. She didn't _have_ to do that. I mean, if I were her, I would've focused on saving myself rather than some cat I didn't like. See? Logical thinking. Give the bully what they deserve. Of course, that would be _me_ in that nest instead of her if that were the case.

This whole thing is just too complicated, and naturally Owlstar felt the need to conduct a full-on investigation and put the blame on _me_. I explained she didn't have to grab on to me and land back-first on the rock just to save me, but that only seemed to make things worse for me. Now I was stuck with tending to those mouse-dunged elders.

I mean, have you _smelled_ mouse-bile? It's positively _disgusting! _

"Missed a tick, kit."

Not to mention that Kinktooth was a complete pain in the tail. Old, silver-faced tom wouldn't know respect if it plopped down right on his head. Grumbling I moved the stick with the biled moss ball to where the tick was, imagining it screaming as it fell off the wiry tom's ragged pelt. Kinktooth purred, stretching out his old, scrawny legs.

"That's better," Grumpy mewed. "Sure glad you don't do this all the time. You're horrible at this!"

"I'm sorry I'm not a stupid medicine cat."

"You sayin' my kit's stupid?"

"No -" Fox-dung. I just did myself in, didn't I?

"Sagetongue's the smartest cat you'll ever meet, prick! Just you wait 'till you're in that den and she's savin' your StarClan forsaken life! She -"

I don't like being preached to, so I dropped the mouse-bile stick and left. I did what I needed to. No need to listen to him now.

Unfortunately for me, my mentor was waiting for me right outside the den. Had she been listening the whole time? Probably, but I wasn't going to bring up _anything_ that had just transpired, not until she started accusing me.

"Did you visit Deadpaw yet?"

Really? That was it? No reprimanding? No scolding? No accusing?

How odd.

"No," I answered honestly, seeing no reason to lie on such a matter. I regretted telling the truth right after.

"You should."

"Hey, it wasn't _my_ fault -"

"I don't care. She just saved your tail-end. You go in and tell her thanks, you ungrateful furball!"

You see, I'm not an easily scared tom. I'm big, strong, and can hold my own in argument, even when I was a kit. But Blossomtail...well, when you mix a much larger, black-and-ginger she-cat with possibly the most terrifying yellow eyes and a tongue sharper than Twoleg flint (glass, I think I heard a kittypet say it was), you tend to be a bit...ah..._cautious_.

In short, I did what I was told.

Now, back on the topic of Deadpaw's looks, she really wasn't attractive at all. Her diluted tortoiseshell fur was thin and patchy, her ears were already shredded despite being only an apprentice, her right eye was milky and made her face look uneven, and falling off that cliff gave her a wound on her back that would most likely scar.

She just...wasn't pretty. And her name didn't much help, either.

Sagetongue, the young medicine cat who just recently earned her full name, was the only one in the den. Odd, since it was normally her out picking herbs and flowers over Graycloud, but I wasn't going to complain. I'd much prefer to deal with the creamy she-cat over the grumpy old tom, who, coincidentally, was Kinktooth's brother.

The pretty she-cat looked up from organizing herbs, striking green eyes flashing. "Here to see Deadpaw?"

I nod. Why else would I be in the medicine den. Sagetongue blinks once, then jerks her head at the motionless pile of fur lying in the nest.

Obviously, the medicine apprentice blamed me, too. I just had to roll my eyes.

I walk up to Deadpaw's still form. She's awake, unless she sleeps with her eyes open, but I'm on her blind side. The apprentice snorted, catching my scent.

"What do you want, Shadepaw?"

Bitter much?

"I wanted to thank you for saving me."

"You're lying."

"What?"

"You didn't _want_ to, you were made to." Deadpaw's pale eyes glared at me, and suddenly I felt as if a thousand claws were pricking into my skin. "Just go away."

I don't know if I should. I want to, I want to thank her for saying just those words, but Blossomtail would have my pelt lining her nest if I did, and for the moment I like living. So I tried lying again.

"No, that's not true. I really wanted to thank you."

No response. Deadpaw buried her face into her paws, and again I felt those claw prick into my skin, even more painful when I see her shoulders shake, from pain or sobbing I can't exactly tell.

"Just...stop lying already…" her voice was so low I nearly didn't even catch the words. I blinked at her, surprised. Sure, Deadpaw wasn't pretty, but she was strong. Hearing her croak things out like a nearly dead frog was…

Well, it was a little saddening.

Just like that, I realized what those claw pricks were. Guilt.

I was feeling guilty.

So that's what it feels like.

When I don't leave or say anything, she looks up, half-glaring, half-pained, half...something else I can't place."Well?"

I open and close my mouth. Nothing.

What a fool I must look right now.

What do I say? _Be honest_. That's what my conscience was saying, and this time I listened to it.

"Okay, I was made to come to thank you. But what I _want_ to say is that I'm sorry." A glimmer of life shows in her eyes, so I continue. "I shouldn't have called you those names. Yeah, you're not all pretty, you're weird and awkward and disgusting…" Life fading. Get it back up, Shadepaw. "...but you're also really amazing."

Really? Was that the truth? I don't normally speak from the heart, and it feels _really_ weird to be doing so. Conscience is saying yes, that's how I really feel, and I don't know how to react. And I can't stop talking, either.

"You're strong, brave...a leader, really. Maybe I was…" No, Shadepaw, don't admit _that_ of all things, don't, you're already ruining your reputation, just stop -

"Jealous?" Fox-dung it, Deadpaw.

"Yeah…" I think I just killed my reputation by saying that. Deadpaw looked curiously at me, and I avoid her gaze, embarrassed and burning beneath my pelt. How degrading. Finally, she dips her head.

"Thank you, Shadepaw…"

We're both awkward now, so I did the only thing I currently knew how to do: walk away in the middle of the conversation.

**AN:**** Casually shipping Deadpaw and Shadepaw/willow? I think YES.**

**Review Replies:**

**Briarthorn of MossClan - I'm glad you liked it! :D I thought I'd write it a bit outside my comfort zone, and I'm glad it worked out. :3 And yes, Blizzardstripe chose his name after Reedstripe. ^^ Thought it pretty fitting. :P**

**Spirit of the Brook - Dangleberry is life, bruh. XD I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! :) **


	6. Understanding, or On the Ledge, Fuming

_**As requested by Briarthorn of MossClan, here are Stonespring and Patchleaf made young again in...**_

**Understanding**

_**Or...**_

_**On the Ledge, Fuming**_

It was disquieting not hearing his sister.

Perhaps, on normal occasions, Stonekit would relish the silence; he had always found Patchkit's rambunctious nature more than a bit overbearing, and he was often annoyed by her clumsy and adventurous antics. He let him pester her though. He knew it made her feel good, and as much as he hated such antics, his sister's happiness was put first. Always.

Frowning, the pale gray tom lifted his head, looking at his sleeping adoptive mother before deciding it was safe to sneak away from his 'nap'. As quietly as possible, he made his way out of the sandy nursery cave, already having several ideas on where his sister might be.

One was the medicine den. She always liked the pretty medicine cat and looked up to her despite not having any real inclination to learn about herbs. He ended up ruling that one out though. Why? He had no real reason if he were honest, just the gut feeling that Sagetongue wouldn't appreciate having the calico kit around her. Or being woken by her for some possibly minor reason.

Second: the cavern entrance. She liked sitting there, but again he ruled it out, not seeing her there or smelling any trace of her.

Third...he didn't have time to think of the third place when he finally caught sight of her, sitting up on a ledge that bordered one cavern wall. It was easy to get up to, really, even for kits. Place a paw on here and a paw there, and it became simple trail to follow.

Stonekit was quick to make it up to the ledge, in part because of his long legs and natural agility. The tom kit sat beside his sister, quick to note her fuming angrily and deciding to wait for her to start the conversation.

She never did though. Stonekit was forced to say something. "What's wrong, Patchkit?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"I'm serious."

"Of course you are."

Patchkit glared at her brother, but when her brilliant green eyes met his deep blue eyes, her gaze fell, and she let out a sigh.

"It's just…" She was slow to start, and even slower to continue. Why Stonekit wasn't sure, but he allowed her to take the time she needed; he was in no rush to go back to the nest. Patchkit frowned down at the cavern floor some fox-lengths below them. "It's Morningmist."

Their foster mother. Of course. Who else could get under Patchkit's skin like this (or his, for that matter)?

"What about her?"

"She yelled at me again." Patchkit's vivid eyes blazed despite the darkness of the cave setting. Stonekit was half-tempted to ask 'what did you do this time', but he didn't. Morningmist was an ill-tempered she-cat, and recently she had started taking a liking to yelling at his sister for no apparent reason. Besides, up until she had flown off to the ledge, Stonekit had been with her through most of that day. She hadn't done anything wrong at all. He frowned when Patchkit continued with: "And she always gives _you_ special treatment."

"And you think I enjoy all the attention?" He didn't need to tell her that; Patchkit was fully aware of Stonekit's own disdain for their cranky foster parent, but he felt it necessary to bring it up. When Patchkit didn't respond, Stonekit began thinking up of ways to make Patchkit a bit more...understanding. Appreciative and loving? No, but understanding.

He had learned early on that once you understood the burden, it was much easier to understand. The burden in this case was Morningmist.

"Do you know why we were given to her instead of Crowsong?" When Patchkit shook her head, Stonekit continued, content. "Well, Crowsong still had her kits. Morningmist's kits died."

No visible reaction, so he continued. "The clan felt bad. We needed to be fed. We were given to her. Everyone knew though that we'd never replace her own blood-kits. She knew it too."

Patchkit blinked, her black-furred face still locked to the ground below. Some semblance of understanding seemed to form on her though, and the fury which emanated from her seemed to fade away to a gentle thoughtfulness, her body more relaxed.

"I...didn't know." The kit murmured, almost to herself. Stonekit pressed his skinny body to hers, giving her ear a comforting lick.

"I know she can be a pain in the rump, but I don't think it's really all her fault. It's why I put up with her, and why you should, too."

"I guess I can try." The she-kit murmured softly, as if she were still mulling over this news. Content with that answer, Stonekit nudged her, and together they made their way back down to the ground below in silence and made their way back to their nest.

**AN: Short, not even meeting 1000 words, but I hope it was a nice little snippet you enjoyed. :)**

**Review Replies:**

**anim8or - Thank youuu!~ And yeah, it's set in DarkClan, mostly because I wasn't paying attention to who was in which clan and went for it. xD I'm glad I portrayed him well enough, especially since it was a first-person POV. ^^**

**Briarthorn - Literally same. xD And I hope this was okay! I was looking over their characters and this sprang into mind. :3**

**ohmygawd - Nah. Shadewillow is such a diva and I _love it._ XD Yeah, maybe he deserves to die in a hole, but that would be a rather uninspired piece of writing. XD**


	7. Cut, or Just Break the Code Already!

**Cut**

_**Or...**_

_**Just Break the Code Already!**_

"Ow!"

"Oh, stop being such a kit."

Honeyspots slathered the poultice onto Jayflight's shoulder wound, which, in her opinion, was relatively minor, and she wished he would just suck it up and be a normal cat. Because of her irritation, she found it amusing to clump his fur purposefully, in the most untidiest way possible, in the stickiest way she could manage (even mixing in some honey for added effect). The warrior huffed, twisting beneath her paws in a rather fruitless attempt to break free.

She was finding this _way_ too funny.

"It stings!"

"It's just a little cut!"

When he failed to stop wriggling about like a worm, Honeyspots took action. In a surprise attack of grumpy faith, the smaller cat leapt onto the brown and white tom, pinning him down with her stout body as she continued her work. Woefully unprepared, Jayflight yelped and struggled even more, though this time he managed to loosen her hold, and the two went tumbling about the medicine den and - miraculously - into the main IceClan clearing. They were completely oblivious to the growing crowd of amused spectators.

Suddenly, one such spectator called out: "Oh, just break the code and become mates already!"

The outburst was enough for the two cats to halt their brawl, staring around wide-eyed before bursting into a collapsing laughter, with Honeyspots slumping onto her friend in a near-undignified (mind you, Honeyspot's was _never_ undignified) heap of white and honey-colored fur.

Really, it was just another day in IceClan.

**AN:**** Laughably and inexcusably short, but I had limited time or brain-power today (testing's a wonderful thing). Now I need to draw a zombie picture for a project. xD Hope this was a nice lil' taste though. I'll reply to reviews next one-shot. :)**


	8. Interest, or Spider Streams

**Interest**

_**Or...**_

_**Spider Streams and the Defector**_

The sun felt warm and soothing on Rocktail's pelt as he laid himself on the warm silver-toned stone that composed most of the mini-islands around IceClan's Spider Streams. Of course, he was a StoneClan cat, so such relaxation in rival territory was risky, incredibly so. Even as he felt himself doze off, he kept one ear alert for warriors of the enemy, and made sure he was awake enough to make a run for it should the need arise.

Apparently, he wasn't alert enough.

"You do realize your IceClan territory, right, stonecat?"

Slowly, Rocktail's eyes opened, staring into the narrowed green eyes of a black-furred warrior, and could distinctly hear his claws scrape at the stone beneath him, obviously itching for a good fight. The dust-brown tom, however, wasn't in the mood for it.

"I thought Curlstar allowed StoneClan warriors as far as Spider Streams during peace times?"

The IceClan warrior had no response for that, and the argument - if it could even be called that - was quickly won. Rocktail, whiskers twitching in amusement at the black cat's aggression-turned-awkward, he flicked a tail in such a way to ask the warrior to join him. The IceClan cat hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly laid down on the warm rock in front of his rival.

"I'm Rocktail." It only felt right to make some introductions. Again there was hesitant, but then:

"Raventalon." Rocktail cocked his head curiously at the black tomcat.

"The Defector?" A nod. Rocktail almost felt the need to stand and bow properly to Raventalon, whose name was already well-known throughout all the clans (or his title was at the very least). He was relatively young, no more than a season over himself, if Rocktail's observations were to be trusted, but he had a history. Left his kittypet lifestyle to train first with MarshClan under Ferretstar, and eventually fled to IceClan and helped bring down the dictatorial leader.

Quite the story if it were told from a good enough tongue.

Suddenly, the Defector - _Raventalon, use names, Rocktail _\- looked up, his ears perked, but not in alarm. Rather in interest. Curious, Rocktail followed the green-eyed cat's gaze. There, farther down Spider Streams, was a lean calico she-cat sniffing the air for prey. She wasn't a cat Rocktail recognized, so he turned curiously to his companion. Raventalon couldn't tear his gaze away from her.

Ah. It was one of _those _things.

"You interested in her?" Raventalon turned slowly, as if forgetting he was in the company of another cat, and he adopted a look of embarrassment. Rocktail couldn't bite back the purr of amusement rising in his throat.

"Her name's Kasha," the black tom said as a way of avoiding the question. "A rogue searching for a better life. Curlstar thought she would become a useful warrior, so now Kasha's trying to prove her loyalty."

"Are you interested in her?" Rocktail wanted answer, not some explanation of who the cat was. Raventalon pretended not to hear. Giving up, Rockatil sighed and stood. "Well, Raventalon, an honor to meet you, but I should head to my clan now." As the brown tom started to walk away, he looked over his shoulder. "You should tell her how you feel, before some other tom takes her."

Raventalon stared after Rocktail, pondering what he had said, before looking back to Kasha with a glint in his eyes.

A part of Rocktail felt he had achieved something that day with the advice he gave. It was a good feeling.

**AN:**** Request for ze lovely anim8or on her character, Rocktail. Short one today, and a short AN as well. My hands are shaking and it hurt enough typing the story, but again I didn't want to be behind schedule too much.**


	9. Regrets, or By the Waterfall

**Regrets**

**_Or..._**

**_By the Waterfall of Forgiving_**

Blackstar was no Riverclan cat. He was used to feeling soggy wetness beneath his paws, but he would never willingly jump into a river, or find any sort of comfort or fun while playing in the waves. Even so, he found the gentle spray of the waterfall soothing, the resounding roar a gentle song in his black-tipped ears.

It was the only solace he found since the destruction of his home.

Ever since he left his camp, his home, he could hear the crashing of trees and roaring of monsters in his sleep, and he would always awaken in the dead of night, out of breath and on the brink of insanity. It wasn't healthy, he knew that, but what could he do about nightmares of destruction? Nothing. Nothing but stay awake and remain vigilant as he protected his clan from the world.

"Is it just natural for Shadowclan cats to stay up at night?" Blackstar didn't turn around to answer the question obviously addressed to him, or to see who it was. A strong Riverclan scent - mixed with the smells of the other clans due to the journey - settled down beside him, and in his peripheral vision he could see fur, blue turned silver in the light of the moon and water.

"Mistyfoot," he greeted solemnly, absently, still refusing to turn to address her fully out of the pure fact she was from another clan, deputy or not.

"You still didn't answer my question."

His only response was a low snort. Mistyfoot shuffled awkwardly beside him, her paws scuffing the hard rock beneath her, stirring small pebbles about. A long silence followed, an awkward one, one where both cats searched fruitlessly for a distraction, but nothing resided in the cave, and no one else was awake.

Blackstar found himself looking back on the past at a foolish mistake he made when loyalty to a leader outweighed the right to live.

"_Finish him." And just like any other loyal warrior sworn to the code, he did just that and followed his leader's command. Blackstar - then Blackfoot - stalked up mercilessly to the beaten cat. Stonefur looked up, blue eyes filled with an undeniable determination and courage. He knew he would die. Those once-brilliant blue eyes said it all, spoke of his unnatural bravery when he looked death in the eyes. When he looked Blackfoot in the eyes. Behind him, two young apprentices cowered in fear as the massive cat approached the great warrior. And mercilessly, without a thought on the young apprentices, or of the honorable warrior before him, or of his sister left in the dungeon, he raised a paw and slashed his throat. And the warrior was dead._

"Leopardstar's been having nightmares." The comment shocked Blackstar out of his reminiscing, and he glanced in surprise at the Riverclan deputy. She was avoiding his gaze, eyes transfixed on the tumbling waterfall in front of them. Why would she share that with another leader? Mistyfoot let out a quiet sigh.

"I'm not sharing this with you because I think Leopardstar's weak. I'm sharing it because I know that's why you're awake." She paused, closing her eyes and lifting her muzzle towards the sky. "She blames herself you know. For TigerClan. For the death of Mudfur. For...everything, I suppose."

When Blackstar failed to respond, she continued. "The destruction of the forest wasn't your fault, Blackstar. No one could have prevented it, not even StarClan."

"I know," the ShadowClan leader confessed softly, his voice nearly drowned out by the roar of the waterfall. "It's not that thought necessarily that's keeping me up, though. It's my leadership." A sneer crossed his broad face as he looked at the RiverClan deputy beside him. "You'd be the first to admit I'm not a good cat."

"No, Blackstar, _you_ would be the first." The leader flinched and looked away, catching his mistake too late. Mistyfoot's vibrant eyes softened, and to the great tom's surprise he felt her muzzle press gingerly to his shoulder. "The clans have forgiven you, Blackstar. _I've _forgiven you, and more importantly StarClan has forgiven you. You wouldn't be here now with you leader name and lives if that weren't the case. And you wouldn't be here, on the mountain, if you weren't doing your job well."

"But why?"

"Because you regret. That regret was what you needed to build your clan to be respectable again." Blackstar turned himself to look at the deputy as she spoke, looking down on her with thoughtful eyes.

"There's a difference between acceptance and forgiveness, Mistyfoot. Tell me, is it forgiveness you feel over the death of Stonefur, or an acceptance of what happened and nothing can be done about it?"

Silence. The two cats stared each other intensely in the eyes, pelts just barely brushing, with the massive tom refusing to be forgiven for his regretful past and the stunning she-cat wishing forgiveness truly were an option, for both of them. Eventually, it was Mistyfoot who broke their gaze, and the time that seemed to have stopped for those moments seemed to return.

"Whatever it may be," she muttered under her breath, "you're a good leader, Blackstar."

And with that the deputy left the leader alone to his reminiscing. Despite himself, Blackstar felt warmed by the she-cats words, and blessed by the fact that she, of all the cat in the clans, showed hope for him. He glanced at the waterfall one final time, at the massive silver sheet of water, before retreating further into the cave and finding a place to rest his weary body.

**AN: Okay, this story is literally incredibly old. I started it...beginning of last year, maybe? Never finished it, not until now anyways. You might notice a shift in quality from beginning to end, though this was one of my better works of the past. Hope you enjoyed!**


	10. Stay, or I've Loved You Always

**Stay**

_**Or...**_

_**I've Loved You Always**_

It was in her veins now, burning with a ferocious fire no water can quell. It hurt. It hurt so bad.

But hey, it was one more life saved.

She spasmed on the ground, the fire overpowering her, threatening to steal her away. Dots danced in front of her eyes. She can hear their voices now, the ones calling to her, the ones coming to take her away.

She was dying, she knew. She's seen death enough to know that this was the end.

She was dying, and one word coursed through her mind, one word stopped the venom from striking her heart too soon. The one word was the name of the cat she wanted to say goodbye to more than anyone.

_Jayflight…_

She could see him now, back from his patrol, his prey probably left deserted by the clan entrance the moment he knew what was happening, the moment he saw her spasming on the ground, wordless cries of anguish escaping her maw. He knelt close to her, his paws at her chest and his nose pressed to her cheek.

"Honeyspots…" His voice was so shaky. It was more painful than the snake poison destroying her from the inside. She dared to look at his face, and all her physical pain stopped, all her spasming and all her cries gone just by looking at his handsome face.

She wanted to stay. She _had_ to stay. For him.

It was impossible, she knew, but she forced herself to calm down, using that characteristic stubbornness to cling to her last breaths of life for as long as she could. His white paw touched her cheek, and a whimper escaped his throat. "Honeyspots...please…"

Everything blurred but him, the handsome brown and white tom who had one her heart the day she opened her eyes. A love that never flourished, true, but the bud was still there, in her heart, and it made her stay. And it flourished with the venom.

"Jayflight…" her voice was so weak, so strangled it barely passed for a whisper. "I'm so sorry, Jayflight…"

"Just…" he was becoming so desperate to keep her alive, so desperate it hurt her more than her killer. "Just tell me what to do! Tell me what herbs I need and I'll heal you! I'll - I'll take care of you!"

"No, Jayflight… there's nothing...you...can do...now…"

His muzzled brushed her cheek so tenderly, so full of affection and pain and love it made her shudder. "Please, Honeyspots. I can't lose you. I _need_ you. Great StarClan please...don't leave me…"

He was shivering now, cold with grief and desperate love, and how she wished she could warm him up, curl herself around him and tell him everything would be okay. Her body was gone though, motionless, with only her stubbornness, with only her love keeping her on the living world. She could only repeat: "I'm so sorry…"

His paws found her face; his nose found her deformed, tiny ear he loved so much. She shuddered against him. He felt so cold…

"I know we promised each other we would never say this..."

_Oh Jayflight, don't...make this harder…_ The words go unsaid, only known to her mind and soul.

"I know it's against the code…" he shook his head in anguish and frustration, in helplessness at the words he knew he had to say before it was too late. "I know we did, but…"

J_ayflight, please…_

His muzzle brushed down her face to the tip of her nose. His forehead pressed against hers, his flank to her flank, his forepaw to her paw, his tail intertwined with her tail. No part of them went untouched when both were growing so cold only their love could possibly warm them up. His voice hardly a whisper, he confessed, "I love you, Honeyspots...I love you so much..._I love you…_"

With the last of her strength, she nestled her head to his chest, shuddering not from the poison, but from her grief, from the pain of saying farewell, from the love neither of them ever had the chance to truly express.

"Keep going…" she managed weakly, her already strangled voice muffled by her best friend and lover's fur. "I want...to hear you...I want your voice to... send me... to StarClan…"

He shuddered again, but obeyed, just as he always had. "I love you, Honeyspots. I know there was no preventing your destiny, and by StarClan you're the greatest medicine cat IceClan's ever had…" He pressed his cheek to the top of her head. "The best friend anyone could have asked for, anyone _can_ ask for and...by StarClan, I hated your destiny...I wanted you so much, to be at your side, to share the same nest with you and hunt with you and become mates so legendary even StarClan would bow before us...I hated your destiny so much because I knew, _I knew_ that would never happen. I wanted to father our kits...I really wanted to. And every night I dreamed of them, of us. I imagined what it would be like to have a family with you… We would have three kits, two she-kits and a tom, all of them as stunning and beautiful and smart and amazing as you…"

He kept going for as long as he could, telling her all his dreams and visions he had of her, of _them_. He continued even when he knew half-way through it all, her heart had stopped and her breath had left her body. He completely broke down when he knew her spirit was in Silverpelt, shuddering and spasming and crying out like the poison had struck him too, like it seeped from her body into his heart and shattered it with thorns.

Her spirit came to him in the night during his vigil; he could scent her rich fur and feel her body against his, only to break down again in sobs and suffering when her voice invaded his mind.

_"I've loved you always, Jayflight…I always will."_

**AN:**** Literally crying now. You?**

**No, this isn't canon death, but I felt like being depressing today. You're welcome.**

**I reiterate, NOT a canon death. So far in Troublepaws, I've no death scenes planned for either Honeyspots OR Jayflight.**


	11. Doubt, or The Young Deputy

**Doubt**

_**Or...**_

_**The Young Deputy**_

The air around him was shockingly still. The sun had just begun to peak over the towering mountain, painting the sky briefly in brilliant shades of pinks and reds, staining the snow that lingered at the topmost parts of the stone pillar. even from where her was, hidden beneath the canopy of pine trees that made up his forest home, he could see the bright glowing orb as it slowly crawled its way up into the clear blue skies, burning away the morning mists that clung to the earth. It warmed him already, chasing away the chilled iciness of the night. He couldn't help but breathe in the fresh air, a arm purr resounding from deep in his throat. the warmth of the sun seemed to chase away any thoughts of prey and even the natural inclination to hunt.

"Jayflight?" The sound of his name, along with someone nudging his flank, brought him back to reality. He opened his heather blue eyes slowly, turning to meet the cold green gaze of Sharpclaw. Her eyes were sharp with the need for progression, though not entirely without understanding. "we need to keep on if we're going to catch any more prey."

"Haven't we caught enough prey?" when the she-cat continued to glare at him, Jayflight rested his tail soothingly on Sharpclaw's shoulder. "We've been hunting all night and caught more than enough prey for the queens and elders. Newleaf has finally arrived." He let out an amused purr. "You can relax now."

The senior warrior remained staring at him tensely, and the new deputy couldn't exactly blame her either. It had been a very harsh and difficult leaf-bare for all the clans, with IceClan being no exception. They had lost half of their elders and three of their warriors to sickness and starvation, one of the fallen being the deputy Curltail. Sharpclaw had every right to be concerned. With a slight shiver at the memory of seeing the dead, he dipped his head respectfully to the older warrior. "I understand your worry, but we _have _caught enough. besides, there doesn't seem to be anything here."

Sharpclaw knew he was referring to the odd silence that dominated the section of the forest they had patrolled overnight. she lifted her long muzzle in the air and opened her mouth slightly, her ears pricked as she tried to pick up any signs of prey. When none appealed to her sense, she gave in with a grudging, "I suppose you're right, Jayflight."

The two cats proceeded to retrace their steps, collecting their prey as they headed back towards camp. Despite himself, Jayflight felt himself relaxing as he walked beside the legendary warrior. He had always been under the belief that Sharpclaw was simply a bitter, aggressive she-cat who seemed so above everyone else, especially himself, who was but a small, pretty kittypet in comparison. He had enjoyed the hunt though, and admired the skills the warrior had displayed. Hunting was not her forte, he knew, but even so she had caught more and sensed more than he did. Jayflight felt the familiar prick of doubt in his heart as he looked to the calico she-cat.

"Doubting your skills as deputy again?" Sharpclaw asked with a twitch of her silvery whiskers, apparently possessing the ability to read minds as well. Jayflight forced himself not to huff in annoyance.

"Perhaps…" he muttered through his mouthful of prey. Eyes gleaming in amusement, Sharpclaw hooked her final piece of prey - a plump gray mouse - on one of her claws before tossing it into her mouth and carrying it away with the rest of her prey. Jayflight stared after her, feeling increasingly worried about Creekstar's decision in making him deputy at her lack of response. He shook his head and bounded after the long-legged she-cat.

...

When their prey had been deposited and they had notified the leader of their return, Jayflight focused on relaxing for as much as he could, sitting at the cliff edge with his plumey tail wrapped about his paws. A gentle breeze blew through his fur, and the crisp morning air was refreshing. The outlook was hardly spectacular; there was a small stream that cut through the thick undergrowth but otherwise little for the eye to behold. Even so, it relaxed him greatly, and he appreciated the soft sounds of the forest.

Bluenose found himself watching the young deputy, taking an interest in how he ran things. The old warrior found that, with more practice and more time to adapt to his new and important role, he had the makings of a natural leader. He possessed all the right qualities for one. He just needed more courage.

"Do you regret picking Jayflight as your deputy?" He asked his silver-coated brother, deep green eyes not leaving the small form of the brown and white tom. Creekstar let out a thoughtful sigh, his thick-furred tail sweeping the dirt behind him, before he looked up at his large brother.

"No, not yet."

"Yet…" There was that word again, Creekstar's favorite when making decisions. Bluenose smirked as his brother snorted.

"He's got potential, but he's too timid when ordering older warriors around. It's something he will have to get used to." Creekstar pointed out matter-of-factly. Also true, Bluenose decided.

"Do you blame him?" He asked. "Some of these warriors are some four to six seasons older than he is, have mentored plenty more cats, and to him probably seem like more likely candidates." A rusty purr rumbled deep in his throat. "I mean, if I were him, I'd be terrified to order a cat like Sharpclaw to do something."

"She reported well on the hunt," the ICeClan leader pointed out thoughtfully. "At first he had reservations, but he quickly grew comfortable enough."

"Did the plan work?" Bluenose was happy to see his brother shake his head.

"No. Sharpclaw tried to convince him to hunt more, placing herself in the authoritative position, but he didn't back down from his decision to return to camp."

"See? There's promise after all."

The two aging toms watched in amusement as the medicine cat, Honeyspots, walked up to Jayflight and sat beside them, the pair talking quietly enough that no one in the vicinity could hear. Bluenose's whiskers twitched. "I've a feeling she'll help him quite a bit in getting some more courage."

Creekstar snorted. "She certainly doesn't have any reservations of ordering cats around."

Bluenose chuckled, a warm purr rising in his throat as Honeyspots flicked her tail past Jayflight's ear, and the old tom caught the glint of happy confidence in the deputy's eyes. The two brothers sat quietly together in amusement as they watched the odd couple.

Suddenly, Bluenose spoke up. "I'm thinking about retiring."

Immediately, the massive tom felt a drop in the warm air of enthusiasm and hope as he said this, and Creekstar didn't respond. "We're reaching our tenth season of life, Creekstar," Bluenose pointed out. "You might have lives to spare, but I certainly don't. I'll continue hunting and such, but I'd prefer not to add to the stresses of our young friend."

Creekstar looked to Jayflight, watching with ice-colored eyes as the deputy nuzzled Honeyspots in a quick farewell before he proceeded on with his duties, his reservations seemingly gone after his talk with the feisty medicine cat. He bowed his head. "I suppose your right, as you always are, Bluenose."

Purring, the largest of the two brothers nudged the smaller leader. "Like I said, I will remain active as long as I can, but it's time for me to relax and rest. There's no telling how many moons I've left, and I'd still prefer it if we went out together, like we said when we were kits. There's a better chance of that happening if I'm not rushing into battles."

Creekstar let out a purr. "Very true, my brother." The leader stood up, stretching in the warm sun. "I'll hold the ceremony today then at sunhigh."

Bluenose laughed. "Make it during sunfall. I'm not so quick on retiring. I want one more day as a warrior."

Purring still, Creekstar nodded, watching appreciatively as the brother he looked up to so much made his way towards the deputy, ready to receive his orders.

**AN:**** An idea given to me by ze lovely anim8or. ^^ She suggested a story where Jayflight faces disapproval from some of his clanmates, and he's encouraged by some of the others. Not exactly that, but I still hope you enjoyed! In other news, I've also created an RP/Everything else forum called "SummitClan", so if you're interested in joining that, feel free to do so. The link is on my profile. :)**


	12. Memory, or Soot like Snow

**Memory**  
**_Or_**...  
_**Snow Like Soot**_

_Cinders and ashes_  
_And falling black dust_  
_Covering the graves of the Earth. _

_Wanting to be a blanket of snow._

Rushpaw didn't miss the glint of disdain in his mentor's eyes, the look of pure and utter hatred as the snowflakes fell from the sky, beginning to cover the land in a thin layer of icy white. Hawkshade's black pelt was ruffled, and it suddenly seemed as if he weren't at all thinking about his apprentice's coming assessment.

"Are you alright, Hawkshade?" The gray-and-black apprentice asked. For a moment, it seemed as though the warrior didn't hear them.

Then there was a low growl.

"I hate the snow." And just like how he didn't miss the hate in Hawkshade's eyes, Rushpaw didn't miss the venom in his mentor's voice.

_It longed for the cold_  
_And the pureness of white_  
_With its majesty and beauty_  
_And surprising might. _

_"_Why_?"_

No response. Not for a while at least. Rushpaw cast a confused glance at his mentor as they paused beside a fallen tree just on the edge of the Burnt Woods, it's bark burned black as soot. Hawkshade closed his eyes for a moment, extending a paw to touch the coarse, fragile trunk of the tree. It was one of the unfortunate results of the massive fire which tore through IceClan's home just mere moons before Rushpaw's birth.

That was when Hawkshade managed a response, his voice raspy, quiet. "It reminds me of ash."

Silence for but a few short moments. Rushpaw frowned at the fallen tree. "Why are we here?"

"This tree came down during the Great Fire. It crushed my sister and she was left to be buried in white."

Hawkshade glared at the broken branches of the tree, each of them now having a thin coating of snow. He could remember the screams of his clanmates, the shrieking of the kits and elders as they fell behind, burning red and orange and gray and white.

_"Hawkshade!"_

The warning, the shove, the crushing of her bones and the crushing of the branches. They echoed to him, especially in the snow. Rushpaw decided his assessment could wait, leaving his mentor to his memories of burning.

_From the mouth of hell it comes_  
_With ashes and cinders_  
_How it wished it could be_  
_As giving as snow. _

**AN: Gosh, this is terrible. I wanted to do a more emotional piece, but this...thing came out. I've been exhausted of late. As the end of the school year comes in, stuff is being crammed in and I'm just...done. Lacking motivation on everything that needs to be worked on and getting some for stuff that may or may not be posted at this point. **

**In any case, this was a request by the lovely 42 4ever, involving their cats Hawkshade and his sister (whose name slips from my exhausted mind). I know it's bad, so if you want it re-done, tell me, and I'll do it...eventually.**

**The poem used is entitled "Soot Like Snow", written by my good friend, BuBu Winter.**


End file.
